


Ask Martin

by areeskimosreal



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 17:35:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18154934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areeskimosreal/pseuds/areeskimosreal
Summary: Sometimes you know the answer, before you ask the question.





	Ask Martin

“ John don't be bloody stupid this won't solve anything, John ,JOHN “ she made to grab his arm but he shrugged her off.  
He angrily slammed and locked the door behind him, threw his overnight bag in the car and sped off.  
Kayleigh burst out crying and ran up the stairs to their room to get her phone, with shaking hands she repeatedly called him, but he didn't answer, she knew he wouldn't. She wondered if he ever would again.  
She lay on their bed crying,after an hour, she called another number.  
“ Look love I ………..”  
“ Just tell me he's there safe, and I'll hang up “  
“ Yes “  
“ He's there ?”  
“ That is correct “  
“ Thank you Joan “  
“ Take care love “

 

“ Was that her? “ John asked  
“ Aye”  
“ I told you I …..”  
“ And I told you John you can stay, but I don't want to know, I will not take sides, assuming neither of you have been playing around “  
“ It's nowt like that “ John interjected.  
“ Good, so you can fix it the then, night night love “  
With that Joan walked out the room leaving John with his thoughts.

Kayleigh hardly slept she was up well before the alarm, she glanced at his bedside table, it was still there, she had an overwhelming urge to destroy it, how she didnt know, but she'd think of something. She went to work early , she wanted to talk to him, to make him see sense to explain. She waited until she knew he wasn't coming, and 5 minutes late she clocked in.  
“ Why didn't you come in when John did ?”  
Elsie asked as she passed.  
“ What, his cars not here ?”  
“ No love he was only in ten minutes, marched in scowled at everyone then left, thought you'd know, everything alright love ? , you look pale”  
“ I'm fine Elsie just tired “  
Just as she finished speaking a flustered looking Cath appeared,  
“ Thank God you're in Kayleigh, what's he playing at, what's this about ?” she was brandishing a brown envelope.  
Elsie was standing watching, taking it all in  
“ Come up to the office “  
“Well ?” Cath asked once they were in the safety of her office. “ What's it all about, what's he doing ?”  
Kayleigh looked on blankly.  
“ Oh Jesus don't tell me you two haven't discussed it “  
“ Discussed what Cath , what is that ?”  
“ John's resignation, he's resigned as of an hour ago , he's gone, finished, using annual leave in lieu of notice, emptied his locker  left for good “  
“ Oh god “ Kayleigh slumped into an office chair.  
“ Of all the bone headed effing things he's done, this is a special kind of stupid “ she eventually said.  
“ You didn't know ?” A perplexed Cath exclaimed.  
“ Absolutely not, but I know why he's done it”  
“ Care to share ?” Cath asked.  
“ No, look Cath can you sit on that for a day or two “  
“ I can try “  
Kayleigh took her phone out and dialled , Caths rang.  
“ Don't answer Cath, it's me”  
The answer machine on Caths desk phone clicked on .  
“ Hi Cath it's Kayleigh, can you put John in for a couple of holidays, he's been up sick all night, I'll phone tomorrow and keep you updated thanks Cath , take care bye “  
“ That's a couple of days covered” Cath said “ but after that ?” she shrugged .  
“ Buys us time, all I've got to do is talk some sense into him”  
“ Good luck with that “ Cath replied scathingly.

Kayleigh sat in her car, she phoned John repeatedly, but as she did it she knew she was wasting her time. She phoned Paul, Clair, John's cousins , Jim, everyone she knew that John spoke to regularly, but no one knew his whereabouts. Anxiousness had become worry, she knew he wouldn't do anything stupid, well nothing else stupid, but she was worried. She made the call she knew she had to make.

“ Hi love”  
“ Hello Joan, is he there ?”  
“ No , I thought he was with you, he said this morning that he'd had a think and was going to fix things first thing “  
“ I've not seen him “  
“ Are you at work love ?”  
“ Yes “  
“ Oh, that's not so good”  
“ Did he say what happened, did he tell you ……..?”  
“ I know neither of you were unfaithful, so whatever it is can be fixed, I told him what I've told you both, I love both of you and won't take sides”  
“ Can I tell you ?”  
“ I don't need to know love “  
“ Please Joan ?“ Kayleigh's emotional state was easy to detect in her voice.  
“ Of course you can, I've said before I'm here for you “

Kayleigh poured her heart out, Joan listened patiently without comment. When Kayleigh finished there was a palpable silence.  
“ Well, love I can understand your reasoning, I take it he doesn't obviously”  
“Obviously “  
“ There's no way you would hold him back love, he's where he is because of you, you should know that”  
“ Sometimes I think I'm inadequate, that sort of thing , I did try to explain “  
“ You know him well enough by now though don't you, he'll have thought of nothing else overnight, he will see things differently now”  
“ But I need to see him, make him understand “  
“ Look love, I'll try phoning him, but if you get him first let me know eh ?”  
“ Okay Joan, ………..thank you “  
“ It'll be alright love, trust me “

Kayleigh cried again, she sat looking at herself in the mirror and smiled ruefully. All the tears she cried looking for love didn't add up to half the amount she'd cried since finding it. She jumped suddenly as the phone rang , it was Jim.  
“ Hi Jim “  
“ Listen Kayleigh, I were thinking, when John wants to talk to someone without being interrupted, he visits his dad “  
“ I forgot about that “  
“ Worth a try love eh ?”  
“ Aye thanks Jim “  
“ Welcome love , cheery “

She pulled into the little council maintained car park. She sighed with relief at the sight of his Fiat, she deliberately parked so as to block it in, if he tried to get away from her again he could effing walk . She headed towards the Oak tree in the centre, down the stairs to the left of it , second path on the right, she could see him, unconsciously she quickened her pace, she needed to get near to him. He was sitting hunched over, thick winter coat with the collar turned up against the chill, clouds of breath vapour surrounding him. She sat on the bench next to him, facing the black granite headstone. Martin George Redmond, loving husband, father and grandfather it said in gold block capitals.  
He didn't look at her, he just reached for and squeezed her hand.  
“ I love you “ he still didn't look at her.  
“ And I love you to John, more than you will ever know “  
“ Oh I know alright “  
“ Why did you resign? “  
“ If you won't marry me because you don't want to “hold back my career” as you put it, the career can go, nothing is more important than you “  
“ So if I won't marry you then you'll resign, is that it ?”  
“ No, you said no and I've still resigned, so it's nothing like that, I've reevaluated that's all”  
“ Reevaluated ?”  
“ What's important and what isn't, what I need and what I don't”  
“ What do you need then, I mean …………?”  
“ You , just you , it's a small list , need ? Kayleigh, don't need ?, everything else basically”  
He looked round at her and smiled,she felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders.  
“ Jesus Kayleigh, you'll bloody freeze to death “ he stood up and took his coat off. Kayleigh hadn't realised that she was dressed in her uniform, with only the thin jacket, now that John mentioned it she was chilled to the bone. He put his coat around her and put his arm around her shoulder.  
“ You'll get cold John “  
“ As he would have said, he nodded towards the headstone, “ Insulated like bleedin walrus aren't we son ?”  
“ I wish I'd met him “  
“ So do I” John said a tear in his eye , “ So do I “  
“ Did you tell him ?”  
“ Aye”  
“ And ?”  
“ Called me an effing idiot and told me to get back to you sharpish, told me that you didn't want to marry me because you worried that people would think you weren't good enough for me, not because you didn't care for me, that you worried you would be looked upon as “ just the promotions girl , who happened to marry her manager “  
“ Clever man “  
“ Aye, he also told me to tell you that I want to marry you because I don't want you to just up and go some day, and to tell you that that would break my heart”  
“ I would never do that John, you're part of me now “  
“ He said to tell you I've felt like that since day one, always worrying that you'd find the guy you deserve, not the one you've settled for “  
She gently turned his head so she was facing him ,  
“ You tell me John, don't hide behind your dad “  
“ I still don't feel like I deserve you, and when you knocked me back …”  
“ I explained darling “  
“ I know but for a minute I thought my doubts had substance “  
“ Thought ?”  
“ Past tense, I know they don't “  
Kayleigh looked into the eyes of this most loving of men, realising that being with him was her destiny. Today she realised that more than ever.  
“ If I ask your dad a question, do you think he'd answer ?” She tentatively asked.  
“ Aye “  
“ Martin, hi , I was wondering, how do you convince someone that they are all you need on this earth and that you could never ever live without them in your life, and show them that you truly and unequivocally love them and will for all eternity? “  
John looked on smiling .  
“ Really ?” Kayleigh feigned surprise, “ that easy ? , thank you Martin “  
“ Well ?”  
“ Clever man your dad “  
“ And ? “  
“ He says I should marry them, what do you think ?”  
“ I tend to agree “  
Kayleigh reached into her handbag.  
“ You left this on the bedside table “  
John took the engagement ring from her, he looked at her and smiled, she smiled back and nodded.  
John without saying a word stood up faced Kayleigh and knelt, slipping the ring on her finger.  
After hugging they interlocked fingers and turned to the grave stone.  
“ Seems the ideal place somehow John “ she idly mused .  
“ Aye strangely enough it does “  
“ Bye dad “ John said, kissing his fingers and touching the headstone.  
“ Bye dad, thanks for the advice “ Kayleigh gave a little wiggle finger wave, and pulled John in close to her, he kissed her forehead.  
As they turned they were both sure they heard a voice say “ You're Welcome “ but both were too scared to mention it to the other, perhaps someday though , perhaps someday.


End file.
